Questions & Answers about Kennarinn spyr okkur núna.
Why do we use okkur here instead of við?
okkur is the accusative form of við (we). The verb spyr (asks) requires the person being asked to be in the accusative case. Since the teacher is doing the asking, we are the object receiving the action, so we must use okkur (us).
What is the dictionary form of the verb spyr?
The dictionary form is spyrja (to ask). When we conjugate it for a singular third person like kennarinn (the teacher), it becomes spyr. Notice how the j disappears in this form, which is a very common pattern for Icelandic verbs ending in -ja.
How does the word kennarinn translate to the teacher instead of just teacher?
In Icelandic, there is no separate word for the. Instead, a definite article is attached directly to the end of the noun. The base word for teacher is kennari, and adding -nn makes it kennarinn (the teacher).
Could we change the word order to Kennarinn spyr núna okkur?
It is much better to stick to the order shown here. In standard Icelandic sentence structure, the object of the sentence (okkur) usually comes directly after the verb (spyr). Adverbs of time like núna (now) typically go at the very end of the sentence.
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